Scottish Executive

Birds

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why 52 licenses were issued to kill robins in the 1990s.

Ross Finnie: Licences were issued on public health grounds to kill or take robins in food preparation premises and major food outlets. Such licences are issued only where all non-lethal methods of removal have failed, there is a clear hazard to food preparations and a threat to public health has been demonstrated.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many elderly day care places are currently provided in total by (a) voluntary and (b) statutory agencies, both expressed as a percentage of the population aged over 65.

Malcolm Chisholm: Figures for elderly day care places expressed as a percentage of the population aged over 65 are presented in the table, split by local authority, private and voluntary sectors. Figures for elderly day care in Scotland are available and can be found in the publication Scottish Community Care Statistics 1999 (Table 1.8, page 9) and also on the Scottish Executive website.

  Day Care places for Older People in Scotland, as a percentage of the population aged over 65, 1998

  


Sector 
  

Number of places 
  

Proportion of population aged over 65 (%) 
  



Local Authority 
  

5,599 
  

0.71 
  



Private 
  

214 
  

0.03 
  



Voluntary 
  

1,924 
  

0.25 
  



Scotland 
  

7,737 
  

0.99 
  



  Source: SEHD Community Care Statistics - D1-B Return. Population Estimates, Scotland – prepared by GRO.

  It is for local authorities to decide whether day care centres should be available for older people in their areas. There is no common definition of statutory agencies.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many elderly day care places are currently provided by (a) voluntary and (b) statutory agencies and how these figures compare with any figures it holds for (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland.

Malcolm Chisholm: Figures for elderly day care places provided by the voluntary sector in Scotland are available and can be found in the publication Scottish Community Care Statistics 1999 (Table 1.8, page 9) and also on the Scottish Executive website. Figures for local authority and private day care centres are also provided.

  It is for local authorities to decide whether day care centres should be available for older people in their areas.

  (i), (ii), (iii) The Scottish Executive does not hold figures for England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current daily cost is of a local authority elderly day care centre place, broken down by local authority.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many elderly day care places are currently provided by (a) voluntary and (b) statutory agencies, broken down by local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Figures for elderly day care places provided by the voluntary sector in Scotland are available and can be found in the publication Scottish Community Care Statistics 1999 (Table 1.8, page 9) and also on the Scottish Executive website. Figures for local authority and private day care centres are also provided.

  It is for local authorities to decide whether day care centres should be available for older people in their areas.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13296 by Susan Deacon on 13 February 2000, whether it will consider adding organisations representing disabled people to the membership of the Care Development Group.

Malcolm Chisholm: The members of the group represent a good cross-section of disciplines and will call on a wide range of expertise and advice to assist them. It will be for the group to decide how to engage with all the relevant interests.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in response to the recommendations of Chapter 9 of the Sutherland Report regarding personal care of younger disabled people.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have noted the brief analysis of the needs of younger disabled people in the Sutherland Report and agree with the commission’s recommendation that further work is required to understand fully the complex issues involved.

Countryside Premium Scheme

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects all payments due to farmers under the Countryside Premium Scheme for 2000-01 to have been made.

Ross Finnie: It is anticipated that payment of all eligible CPS management claims submitted on time will be made by 16 March 2001.

Countryside Premium Scheme

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any farmers who have been financially disadvantaged as a result of delays in receiving payments under agricultural support schemes which it administers have any right of compensation for those losses.

Ross Finnie: The Executive’s commitment to farmers and crofters is to pay valid Countryside Premium Scheme management claims within six weeks of receipt. This is not a statutory obligation and there is no provision for compensation should payment take longer.

Digital Hearing Aids

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10021 by Susan Deacon on 5 October 2000, how many digital hearing aids were provided by the NHSiS in each health board area in each of the last three years.

Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13069 on 19 December 2001.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the recommendations contained in the report of the HIV Health Promotion Strategy Review Group, what new guidance it plans to issue regarding the provision of needles and syringes to injecting drug users.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which advises the UK Health and Justice Departments, will be considering the significance of injecting paraphernalia for the transmission of bloodborne viruses at its next meeting on 31 May. The Executive will consider what further guidance to health boards might be appropriate in the light of the Advisory Council’s conclusions.

Enterprise

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for considering complaints against Scottish Enterprise and its associated Local Enterprise Companies.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Scottish Enterprise has an External Complaints Adjudicator who investigates complaints against Scottish Enterprise and its Local Enterprise Companies, once their own internal complaints procedures have been exhausted.

Fire Service

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to reduce the number of unnecessary emergency call-outs of the fire service, in particular those caused by faulty fire alarms.

Iain Gray: Fire brigades are pursuing all available means of reducing the number of unwanted fire signals from automatic fire detection systems. The British Fire Protection Systems Association and the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CACFOA) are active participants in a Campaign Task Group which is seeking to identify more effective measures to address this problem.

Heritage

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support the case of St Kilda for gaining world cultural heritage status.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Nominations for World Heritage Sites are made to UNESCO by individual states; proposals for Scottish sites are drawn up and submitted by the Scottish Executive. We are considering the possibility of seeking to add cultural criteria to the case which is currently being made to extend the present St Kilda World Heritage Site to encompass a larger maritime area.

Medical Records

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prepare guidelines for health boards on policies on charging for access to medical records in order to ensure patients’ ease of access to their records.

Susan Deacon: Management Executive Letter 2000(17), which was issued by the Scottish Executive Health Department on 14 April 2000, draws the attention of boards and Trusts to the coming into force of the Data Protection Act 1998. The letter is available on SHOW. Amongst other things, it announces new arrangements under the Act for enabling patients to see their health records. In particular, it notifies NHSScotland of the new charging regime for subject access requests.

  More detailed guidance is now at an advanced stage of preparation and will be issued shortly.

Museums

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses to assess whether an independent museum is of national importance.

Mr Sam Galbraith: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-2806 on 18 January 2001.

Police

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any protesters were strip searched at any police station following the protest at Faslane on 12 February 2001 and, if so, what the sex and ages were of the protestors searched in this way.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. This is a matter for Strathclyde Police.

Public Transport

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Stagecoach-Bluebird regarding the reduction in the level of bus services serving Kemnay, Portlethen, Johnshaven and Ballater in Aberdeenshire.

Sarah Boyack: The provision of local bus services is a matter for the commercial judgement of bus operators. However, local authorities have the power to subsidise local bus services if they cannot be run on a commercial basis and if the services meet an identifiable social need. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001, which received Royal Assent on 25 January, includes provisions to enable local authorities to play a key role in determining local bus service provision and to enhance service frequency through subsidy. The requirement for local authorities to consider whether, by making such subsidies, competition might be inhibited has been replaced by a general requirement to have regard to the interests of the public and bus operators.

Public Transport

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whom commercial bus operators are required to consult before making changes to their bus service operations.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive fully recognises the importance of stability of bus service provision, and of proper consultation when changes are being proposed. I plan to bring regulations forward to require local bus operators to consult local authorities 14 days before submitting registration details to the Traffic Commissioner. I also plan to increase the registration period from 42 to 56 days for all new services, variations, cancellations and public holidays, and to introduce a requirement to give 30 days notice to the public of variations and cancellations.

  The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001, which received Royal Assent on 25 January 2001, contains powers to require bus operators to operate new or varied services for a minimum of 90 days. The Act also includes statutory consultation requirements as regards Quality Partnership, Quality Contract and joint ticketing schemes, and the provision of information about local bus services.

  This represents a formidable package of additional powers which should encourage local authorities and bus operators, taking account of the views of bus users, to work together to ensure the stability of, and improvements to, local bus services.

Renewable Energy

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list each of the 100 contracts awarded since 1994 under the Scottish Renewables Obligation, specifying the nature, location and cost of each scheme and the type of energy involved.

Mr Sam Galbraith: 109 contracts have been awarded under the Scottish Renewables Obligation since 1994. These are listed in the table. We do not hold any information regarding the cost of each scheme.

  


Energy Type 
  

Location/Local Authority 
  

Size (MW) 
  



Biomass 
  

Westfield (Fife) 
  

9.80 
  



Biomass 
  

Burnside Farm, Brodick, Arran (North Ayrshire) 
  

2.00 
  



Biomass 
  

Morayhill Energy Plant (Highland) 
  

12.9 
  



Energy from Waste 
  

Baldovie (Dundee City) 
  

8.30 
  



Energy from Waste 
  

Westfield (Fife) 
  

14.7 
  



Energy from Waste 
  

(Glasgow City) 
  

15.0 
  



Energy from Waste 
  

Dargavel (Dumfries & Galloway) 
  

7.20 
  



Hydro 
  

Russell Burn, Applecross (Highland) 
  

0.53 
  



Hydro 
  

Loch Poll, Assynt (Highland) 
  

0.23 
  



Hydro 
  

Sheildaig, Gairloch (Highland) 
  

2.10 
  



Hydro 
  

Inverbroom, Ullapool (Highland) 
  

3.17 
  



Hydro 
  

Cuileig (Highland) 
  

3.00 
  



Hydro 
  

Novar, Evanton Ross-shire (Highland) 
  

0.92 
  



Hydro 
  

Ardtornish, Morvern, by Oban (Highland) 
  

0.66 
  



Hydro 
  

Duror, Lochgilphead (Highland) 
  

0.69 
  



Hydro 
  

Garrogie, Loch Mhor, Inverness-shire (Highland) 
  

1.94 
  



Hydro 
  

Garry Gualach, Fort William (Highland) 
  

0.78 
  



Hydro 
  

Stanley Mills, Perthshire (Perth and Kinross) 
  

0.99 
  



Hydro 
  

Auchtertyre, Tyndrum (Stirling) 
  

0.59 
  



Hydro 
  

Strath Melness, Sutherland (Highland) 
  

0.30 
  



Hydro 
  

Slattadale, Achnasheen, Ross-shire (Highland) 
  

1.45 
  



Hydro 
  

Locheil Estate, Achnacarry (Highland) 
  

1.32 
  



Hydro 
  

Loch Arkaig, Locheil, Inverness-shire (Highland) 
  

5.47 
  



Hydro 
  

Little Wyvis, Strathpeffer, Ross-shire (Highland) 
  

0.63 
  



Hydro 
  

Glen Tarbet, Strontian, Argyll (Highland) 
  

0.83 
  



Hydro 
  

Inverpolly, Lochinver, Ross & Cromarty (Highland) 
  

0.95 
  



Hydro 
  

Urlar, Aberfeldy (Perth and Kinross) 
  

0.98 
  



Hydro 
  

Westfield Mill, Blairgowrie (Perth and Kinross) 
  

0.43 
  



Hydro 
  

Glen Kinglas HEP (Argyll and Bute) 
  

0.60 
  



Hydro 
  

Ben Glas Hydro Scheme (Stirling) 
  

0.90 
  



Hydro 
  

Allt Fionn HEP (Stirling) 
  

0.90 
  



Hydro 
  

River Nith (Dumfries and Galloway) 
  

0.50 
  



Hydro 
  

Glen Trool (Dumfries and Galloway) 
  

1.00 
  



Hydro 
  

Dyce (Aberdeen City) 
  

0.62 
  



Hydro 
  

Beochlich, Loch Awe (Argyll and Bute) 
  

0.95 
  



Hydro 
  

Antermony Loch, Milton of Campsie (East Dunbartonshire) 
  

0.08 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Summerston (Glasgow City) 
  

2.78 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Dalmarnock (Glasgow City) 
  

11.85 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Springburn (Glasgow City) 
  

11.85 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Greengairs Phase 1, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire) 
  

1.89 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Greengairs Phase 2, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire) 
  

1.89 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Greengairs Phase 3, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire) 
  

1.96 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Greengairs Phase 4, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire) 
  

1.96 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Auchinlea, Bellside, Cleland (North Lanarkshire) 
  

1.69 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Dalmacoulter, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire) 
  

0.96 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Tarbothill (Aberdeen City) 
  

2.20 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Wellbank Gas to Energy (Angus) 
  

0.90 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Dunlop Power (East Ayrshire 
  

2.40 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Garlaff LandFill (East Ayrshire) 
  

1.30 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Kaimes Landfill Site (Edinburgh City) 
  

2.40 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Greenoakhill Landfill Site (Glasgow City) 
  

3.90 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Bonnyrigg Power (Midlothian) 
  

2.20 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Auchencarrod Landfill (West Dumbartonshire) 
  

2.00 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Greengairs Phase 5, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire) 
  

2.20 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Greengairs Phase 6, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire) 
  

2.20 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Riggend Power (North Lanarkshire) 
  

1.00 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Drumshangie Power (North Lanarkshire) 
  

1.00 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Kilgarth (North Lanarkshire) 
  

1.00 
  



Landfill Gas 
  

Binn Landfill (Perth & Kinross) 
  

1.90 
  



Small Wind 
  

Meall Mor (Argyll & Bute) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Shell Fish Farm (Argyll & Bute) 
  

0.30 
  



Small Wind 
  

Torrs Hill Wind Farm (Dumfries & Galloway) 
  

0.80 
  



Small Wind 
  

Little Kilmain (East Ayrshire) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Myres Hill A (East Renfrewshire) 
  

0.60 
  



Small Wind 
  

A’Mhoine (Highland) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Melvich Wind Farm (Highland) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Crofting Power - Forrs (Highland) 
  

0.90 
  



Small Wind 
  

Burgar Hill (Orkney Islands) 
  

0.60 
  



Small Wind 
  

Bu Farm (Orkney Islands) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Powdykes (Orkney Islands) 
  

0.30 
  



Small Wind 
  

Thorfin Wind Farm (Orkney Islands) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Pole Hill (Perth & Kinross) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Tresta (Shetland Islands) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Hamari Field (Shetland Islands) 
  

1.00 
  



Small Wind 
  

Burradale Wind Farm (Shetland Islands) 
  

0.90 
  



Small Wind 
  

Arnish Moor (Western Isles) 
  

1.00 
  



Wave 
  

Islay (Argyll & Bute) 
  

0.20 
  



Wave 
  

Machiar Bay (Argyll & Bute) 
  

0.30 
  



Wave 
  

(Shetland Islands) 
  

1.50 
  



Wind 
  

Benan Hill (South Ayrshire) 
  

4.50 
  



Wind 
  

Kiam Hill (North Ayrshire) 
  

5.10 
  



Wind 
  

Stronachullin (Argyll & Bute) 
  

3.80 
  



Wind 
  

Dun Law (Borders) 
  

8.90 
  



Wind 
  

Black Hill (Borders) 
  

5.10 
  



Wind 
  

Meikle Carewe (Aberdeenshire) 
  

5.70 
  



Wind 
  

Bisset Moss (Aberdeenshire) 
  

6.40 
  



Wind 
  

Beinn An Tuirc, Carradale (Argyll & Bute) 
  

6.39 
  



Wind 
  

Cnoc Donn Arnicle, Carradale (Argyll & Bute) 
  

6.39 
  



Wind 
  

Deucheran Hill, Kintyre (Argyll & Bute) 
  

6.17 
  



Wind 
  

An Suidhe, Loch Awe/Fyne (Argyll & Bute) 
  

6.17 
  



Wind 
  

Eredine Forest, Loch Awe/Fyne (Argyll & Bute) 
  

6.17 
  



Wind 
  

Roughside Hill, Peebles (Borders) 
  

6.17 
  



Wind 
  

Emly Bank, Peebles (Borders) 
  

6.17 
  



Wind 
  

Ark Hill (Angus) 
  

5.10 
  



Wind 
  

Hagshaw Hill (s10), Douglas (South Lanarkshire) 
  

2.12 
  



Wind 
  

Hagshaw Hill (s15), Douglas (South Lanarkshire) 
  

4.06 
  



Wind 
  

West Garty, Helmsdale, Sutherland (Highland) 
  

5.13 
  



Wind 
  

Helmsdale, Helmsdale, Sutherland (Highland) 
  

4.30 
  



Wind 
  

Bendealt, Evanton, Ross-shire (Highland)) 
  

3.79 
  



Wind 
  

Meall an Tuirc, Evanton, Ross-shire (Highland)) 
  

3.37 
  



Wind 
  

Beinn Ghlas, Taynauilt (Argyll & Bute) 
  

3.37 
  



Wind 
  

Largie, Kintyre (Argyll & Bute) 
  

6.39 
  



Wind 
  

Laggan, Islay (Argyll & Bute) 
  

1.28 
  



Wind 
  

Carsphairn, Kirkcudbright (Dumfries & Galloway) 
  

4.21 
  



Wind 
  

Carsphairn, Kirkcudbright (Dumfries & Galloway) 
  

4.21 
  



Wind 
  

Port Patrick, Wigtownshire (Dumfries & Galloway) 
  

3.37 
  



Wind 
  

Beinn Mholach (Western Isles) 
  

4.50 
  



Wind 
  

Barbae (South Ayrshire) 
  

6.40 
  



Wind 
  

Stronachullin (South Lanarkshire) 
  

8.60

Renewable Energy

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether projects involving the incineration of waste for energy will be eligible for assistance under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) in future; if so, what the reason is for its position on this matter and, if no decision has been made on this matter as yet, when such a decision is expected.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Our recent consultation paper on the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) addressed a number of issues, including the matter of qualifying renewable energy technologies. We will take decisions on these issues once we have completed analysing the many responses received.

Teachers

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary teaching vacancies have been unfilled for (a) over one month and (b) over three months in each local authority in each of the last three years.

Mr Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13073 on 19 February 2001.

  The Supply of Teachers report is now also on the Scottish Executive website www.scotland.gov.uk.

Tuberculosis

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of tuberculosis were recorded in the (a) adult and (b) child population in each of the last 20 years.

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the (a) adult and (b) child population suffered from tuberculosis in each of the last 20 years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information is set out in the table:

  Tuberculosis notifications: numbers and percentage of population, by age

  





Notifications 
  

Percentage of Population 
  



Year 
  

Children1


Adults2


Children1


Adults2




1979 
  

110 
  

1,113 
  

0.010 
  

0.028 
  



1980 
  

91 
  

1,047 
  

0.008 
  

0.026 
  



1981 
  

95 
  

877 
  

0.009 
  

0.021 
  



1982 
  

74 
  

828 
  

0.007 
  

0.020 
  



1983 
  

56 
  

773 
  

0.005 
  

0.019 
  



1984 
  

58 
  

680 
  

0.006 
  

0.016 
  



1985 
  

40 
  

667 
  

0.004 
  

0.016 
  



1986 
  

65 
  

691 
  

0.007 
  

0.017 
  



1987 
  

36 
  

524 
  

0.004 
  

0.013 
  



1988 
  

34 
  

494 
  

0.004 
  

0.012 
  



1989 
  

36 
  

497 
  

0.004 
  

0.012 
  



1990 
  

31 
  

532 
  

0.003 
  

0.013 
  



1991 
  

35 
  

511 
  

0.004 
  

0.012 
  



1992 
  

50 
  

509 
  

0.005 
  

0.012 
  



1993 
  

31 
  

523 
  

0.003 
  

0.013 
  



1994 
  

21 
  

525 
  

0.002 
  

0.013 
  



1995 
  

39 
  

439 
  

0.004 
  

0.011 
  



1996 
  

34 
  

475 
  

0.004 
  

0.011 
  



1997 
  

21 
  

412 
  

0.002 
  

0.010 
  



1998 
  

14 
  

443 
  

0.001 
  

0.011 
  



1999 
  

32 
  

464 
  

0.003 
  

0.011 
  



  Source: Common Services Agency for the NHS.

  Notes:

  

Under 15 years of age.


15 years of age and over.

Questions given holding answers

Question Numbers

  S1W-13303

  S1W-13306

  S1W-13307

  S1W-13308

  S1W-13309

  S1W-13310

  S1W-13314

  S1W-13317

  S1W-13318

  S1W-13319

  S1W-13320

  S1W-13322

  S1W-13327

  S1W-13328

  S1W-13329

  S1W-13330

  S1W-13331

  S1W-13335